Promoting and preventing animal cruelty

MEET THE FINALISTS: BEST NOT FOR PROFIT

The CSPCA in Cavan was founded in the 1980s and, while Tina Boyle hasn’t been with the group since then, she has been the face of it for the past 25 years.

Cavan Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals aims to promote animal welfare and prevent animal cruelty. They are a non-profit charity which provides services throughout the county. Their work involves mostly cats and dogs but sometimes other wildlife. They also provide a service for people through social media to report or find a missing pet. Most recently, they found the owner of a ferret who had gone missing.

“It’s whatever turns up,” Tina said.

She started out fostering animals, taking one kitten from the SPCA. It was discovered at this time that Tina had sheds at her home, conveniently located “in the middle of nowhere” in Ballyhaise. The rest is history.

“From that I’ve never had a shed that’s empty,” she laughed, describing how her home has now become a base for the charity.

Cavan SPCA also run trap, neuter and release schemes for cats; while they also provide neutering schemes for dogs too. They are funded through grants, which are becoming “harder” to apply for each year, and fundraisers such as pet shows, bucket collections, their annual calendar sales, their charity shop in Ballyjamesduff and other charity events.

Funds go towards the care of the animals in her care, and also that of some other volunteers for the group who foster animals; while they also go towards neuter schemes and veterinary bills.

CSPCA also looks after stray or abandoned animals, which are found and handed into them. Tina currently has 24 dogs in her care, while she has about 13 cats and six kittens, four of which need to be syringe fed.

In total, the animal welfare charity has around 10 volunteers, a network of foster homes and also others who help out at different events.

The nomination came as a “surprise” to the group, however they said it is “lovely” to be recognised.